Vintage Space Plastic

The silver color suggests that is based on the English Poplar spaceship which in turn is a copy of the Gilmark Supersonic Jetmobile.

SPACESHIP - KLEEWARE - ENGLANDA copy of the Gilmark original. Colors: yellow/blue. A copy of The Flash Jetmobile by Gilmark.

SPACESHIP - MOLDEX - AUSTRALIAAn Australian copy of the Premier spaceship. Silver grey hard plastic. Marked Moldex number 1 in a circle. The mold also carries the serial I 333 - i.

SPACESHIP - POPLAR PLAYTHINGS - WALESA copy of a Gilmark original. Made in silver with gold fin and engine. Also in the reverse: gold with silver engine and fin.

A copy of The Fireball Jetmobile by Gilmark. The silver and bronze semi-transparent plastic is characteristic of the English Poplar version. Included in a several carded sets of spacemen and spaceships.

Various color and figure combinations. These are the same moldings as those used for their Flash Gordon range of dime store toys.

SUPERSONIC JETS SPACE SET - KLEEWARE - ENGLANDDespite its name this is a space set. The boxed set comprises a mix of products based on two manufacturers: Marx and Pyro. Kleeware borrowed the US molds for a short time and produced their own copies, usually marked Kleeware, Made in England. The plastic is slightly more transparent than that of the Marx originals. The Pyro is virtually identical apart from the logo.

TERRE MARS AND SPACEMEN - REX JOUETS - FRANCEHard plastic spaceship. This is a close copy of the Tudor Rose Space Flyer, which in turn is related to the Pyro X-100. The nose of the spaceship differs from the Tudor Rose version. The spaceship has a distinctive long plastic tail. Made in a range of colors.

The hard plastic grey spaceship was sold on a card with a set of four slender, smitranslucent hard plastic Rex Jouets space figures. Each comes with a clear plastic helmet. Marked Depose. It is interesting to note that though these figures are original designs, not copies of earlier figures, they still retain the four poses of the Tudor Rose group.

THUNDERBOLT - FETHALITE - AUSTRALIALight blue and yellow hard plastic spaceship. 7.5" A futuristic vehicle with small side wings and a large dorsal fin. A gun is mounted on the top, though the example shown has a shorter gun than on the original design. Push along. This is a copy of the California Moulders original. Name? Packaging?

THUNDERBOLT SPECIAL, SPACE CAR - CALIFORNIA MOULDERS - USAThis is possibly the first plastic spaceship. "Rocket Car of the Future". Hard plastic spaceship. 7.5" A futuristic vehicle with small side wings and a large dorsal fin. A gun is mounted on the top. Produced in combinations of red, blue and yellow components. Push along.

The boxed version is in three color combinations. The bagged version came in just two colors.

Model number CM-600. Date?
In the early 1950s the toy was renamed "Space Car" CM-160 See also the US Plastics Futuramic Model Car.

TOM CORBETT SPACE ACADEMY PLAYSET #7010 - MARX - USAPossibly the first space playset. Released in September 1952. The set has 97 pieces based upon a lithographed tinplate space building.

The box measures 23 x 14.5. Willy Ley assisted in the design of the playset.

TWIN FUSELAGE SPACESHIP #2 - MARX - USAHard plastic spaceship. The imaginative design consists of a large curved wing with two fuselages and a tailfin.

4 1/2" 12cm Marked with Marx logo and the number 2 on the base. Sold loose.

TWO SPEED OUTER SPACE ROCKET - PETER PAN - ENGLANDA red soft plastic rocket with a yellow satellite on the tip. The top is a push fit and gradually works loose until the satellite shoots loose. Carded. 1950s.

WORLD OF TOMORROW CONVERTIBLE, SMALL - ARCHER - USAA smaller version of the Archer convertible. 4"

WORLD OF TOMORROW COUPE, SMALL - ARCHER - USAA smaller version of the Archer hard plastic coupe. note the absence of side struts on the windshield. Various colors.

WORLD OF TOMORROW GAS TRUCK, SMALL - ARCHER - USASmall version of the Archer hard plastic gas truck. 4" various colors.

WORLD OF TOMORROW PICKUP TRUCK, SMALL - ARCHER - USAA smaller version of the hard plastic Archer pickup. 4" Various colors.

WORLD OF TOMORROW PLAYSET - ARCHER - USAPlayset comprising a cardboard space station with rocket, spacemen and space cars.

The building is made of thick card stock with 3 main sections and the red and planet inserts. Additionally, there is a support unit that goes inside the building that supports the roof top so you can put the rocket on top of it. Otherwise, the weight would make the roof sink.

On sale in late 1952.

WORLD OF TOMORROW SEDAN, LARGE - ARCHER - USALarge hard plastic version of the Archer sedan. 10" Various colors.

WORLD OF TOMORROW SEDAN, SMALL - ARCHER - USASmall version of the Archer hard plastic sedan car. 4"

WORLD'S CHAMPION RACER - RENWAL - USADespite its name this looks like a futuristic space car. The gently tapering space car has a clear plastic dome containing a pilot and a long detachable rear fin maked CHAMPION. 36 is molded into the front. Boxed. Produced in a range of colors. Friction drive.

X-100 SPACE SCOUT - MAKER? - FINLANDBelieved to be Finnish versions of the Pyro X-100 Space Scout. This spaceship is distinctive in that there are no cockpit cutouts; the openings are sealed. In addition there is an additional plastic lining to the underside of the fuselage.

Made in a wide range of semi-transparent plsastic colors.

X-200 SPACE RANGER - LESIEUR - FRANCEA hard plastic copy of the Pyro original. Seen in two-tone green and white. This model was a premium issued with Lesieur cooking oil products. The spaceship has rather more flash than other versions, reflecting the economics of providing free gifts.

X-300 SPACE CRUISER - KLEEWARE - ENGLANDA copy of the Pyro original. Sold loose as a Woolworth's bin toy. The two-tone plastic is characteristic of many of the English examples.

X-400 SPACE EXPLORER - ALPIA - ITALYGrey hard plastic spaceship. This is clearly a X-400 spaceship manufactured by Alpia in Italy in the 1950s. This is a copy of the Pyro original, though it may be derived from the English molds. There is no name on the spaceship, though the Alpia logo and Bergamo are shown on the top of the ship. This is a friction drive mechanism, though it does not have the large box structure usually used for the motor (Tudor Rose style)

X-400 SPACE EXPLORER, FRICTION VERSION - TUDOR ROSE - ENGLANDBased on the Pyro X-400, this is an alteration that turns the original spaceship into a friction powered vehicle. A box structure has been added to the base and a pair of substantial black plastic wheels have been fitted. A basic noise making device was also included.